


Upon the Mountain

by WhatHaveWeDone



Category: Elenium/Tamuli Series - David & Leigh Eddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2019-04-15 02:11:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14149677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhatHaveWeDone/pseuds/WhatHaveWeDone





	1. Chapter 1

"Remind me who's idea this was again." Berit yelled above the wind.

"Shut up." replied Talen.

"Just a short ride, then a hike you said, to get out of the city."

"Shut up"

"And Khalad, the weather was going to be good, right?"

"Like he said, shut it." The older man was not in the mood.

Yes, Talen had suggested that the three of them get away from the stifling oppressive heat in the city by going for a hike – well maybe more of a climb – on one of the nearby low lying mountains. And yes, Khalad was the one who had predicted another fine still day. So they had ridden out at dawn, traveling as far as they could on horseback before the animals were becoming unsafe on the rocky ground, before dismounting and continuing on foot. They had taken most of the day to reach the top of the mountain, and had spent some time at the top enjoying the view, the cool air and a flagon of wine. There had be no way to predict that that on the way down the weather would turn. The clouds had rolled in and the wind picked up: the sky had opened. They had spent a thoroughly miserable couple of hours making their way down and were thoroughly soaked and cold. It had been only in the last few minutes that the rain had begun to ease up.

"And we were having so much fun!" Berit continued.

Khalad stopped and said "I don't command the weather, it's good for you idiot noblemen to remember that not everything does as you say" angry that Berit seemed to be trying to make the whim of nature his fault. He turned to the knight to see a smile on his face.

"Ah come on now Khalad, don't take it personally. It's not often that you're wrong about something like this so forgive me if I enjoy it while I can."

Khalad's anger dissipated, soothed by Berit's infections humour. "Well, I know I'm right when I say you look like a drowned rat."

"Don't we all." Rejoined Talen "But can this not wait until we are at least out of this wind, if not until we are dry. I think I have a river in my boots."

Talen shifted his feet making a squelching sound against the soil and rock of the mountain. The motion drew both Khalad and Berit's eyes to the ground. "So you do" Berit laughed, pointing at the stream of water coming from Talen's boots at each movement.

Khalad frowned. That wasn't right. That stream of water wasn't coming from Talen. The roar of the wind picked up. It was more like Talen was standing in a stream. They all were. But they hadn't been a moment ago. Khalad looked up and fear gripped his heart. That wasn't the roar of the wind. The long period of dry days followed by a fierce and short downpour had caused one of the worst things you could face on a mountain side.

"Flash flood" he breathed.

That got the other's attention, and they both turned to see the wall of water that was approaching them. It was dark, like the sky had been just a short while before and pushed rock, soil and tree branches ahead of it. It was moving fast, faster than a horse and certainly faster than they were. And it was wide, too wide each edge at least one hundred feet away: there was no way they would be able to get out of the way in time.

Khalad turned to his brother, fear just replaced with sadness at the thought of the pain their death would cause their family as he gave up hope.

"Hold on to me!" Khalad turned in surprise towards Berit, who looked like he was attempting a spell. Although Sparhawk had been threatening to start Khalad's Pandion education for some years know, he had mostly managed to avoid it. He had seen some examples of different types of spell, but they were all beyond him so he had to trust to his friends' expertise in this area.

The wall of water rolled and roared closer, and Berit glanced about, hands still weaving and muttering the words to the spell under his breath. He seemed to find what he was looking for as he turned to face a large boulder not far away, and the magic coalesced in his hand to form a pearl of light.

"I said grab on." He repeated urgently. Khalad and Talen obeyed, neither understanding. Berit stood at a strange angle, left arm out holding the spell, left leg forward in a bracing position, so the two brothers stood behind him, clinging to his arm and back.

Khalad looked at the spell that Berit was about to cast. He thought he had once seen something like it... surely not? He wouldn't try that, not with the three of them. It was madness. It was...

He felt Berit tense and then released the spell with a word of command. An intense smell of sulphur filled the air, there was crack like a lightning strike and Berit gave a cry of pain. And then the three of them were flung through the air in a confusing blur of yelling, water and debris. They landed in a pile heavily enough to take his breath away, though he had probably taken harder hits on the training ground.

He lay stunned for a moment, before moving to untangle his limbs from the others to stagger to his feet. He turned to stare at the ferocious river now tearing down the mountainside, and shuddered at how close they had been to being swept away with it.

"Khalad?" Talen's voice drew his attention. "I think Berit's hurt."


	2. Chapter 2

"Flash flood." Khalad said softly, and Berit turned sharply. Yes, the flash flood was heading straight for them, and there would be no way to survive that. They wouldn't be able to get out of the way in time and they would be crushed or drowned in minutes. Unless... He'd never heard of it being done to move three people before but maybe... It didn't matter he would try it anyway. The only other option was death.

"Hold on to me." He shouted, before beginning the complex combination of hand movements and words that made up the Styric magic system that the Pandion order used. Berit had never been the most talented of magic users - he would describe himself as competent - but casting this particular spell wasn't that complex, it was just incredibly dangerous.

The spell was almost done, he just needed... he looked frantically about.

This was from one of the most useful categories of magic – the movement of physical objects. The theory was complicated even if the spell was short, and was littered with phrases like 'conservation of energy' and 'differentiation in mass' that he didn't really understand. Khalad would probably to better at that. But Berit understood what it boiled down to: you could move just about anything you like, if you had an anchor heavier than the thing you were moving. You directed the spell at the anchor and the caster acted as a pivot point and the other thing moved in the desired direction. Then the spell sought the ground. The problem came when you were trying to move something that was nearly as heavy as you – as in any circumstance if the load was too much the supporting structure could break. Only in this case the 'supporting structure' was the spell caster.

"I said grab on" he repeated, having seen a boulder that work as his anchor. He positioned himself as best he could to dissipate the force he was about to unleash away from his sword arm as he felt four hands at last grab him securely.

There was no more time, their watery doom fast approaching. Berit tensed. Moving the three of them was so far beyond what he had been cautioned about when he was taught this particular invocation This was going to hurt if it didn't just kill him outright or burn his mind away. But the other two would be safe. Probably. At least safer than standing right here. He said the release word and time seemed to slow for him – sound softened and his vision fuzzed at the edges.

He could see the energy arcing away from him, and it hit the boulder. If he had judged this right he had made it just strong enough to move them out of harm's way but not strong enough to do any damage when they landed. He would soon find out, all he had to do was wait for the rebound and to see if he was a strong enough pivot. He wasn't.

The energy returned to him where it had left, and in the process broke his wrist. It travelled to his shoulder, dislocating it. Then it sought the earth via the left of Berit's rib cage, breaking each rib as it passed. It reached his hip, throwing it out, then his knee doing the same before at last jumping to the ground and dissipating. It was only then that Berit could tell that he had guessed correctly – they wouldn't be thrown off the mountain at least. Time returned and Berit now felt the pain from his broken bones hit all at once. He couldn't stop the cry that escaped his lips as the three began to move through the air in front of the flood. He landed on top of his friends but couldn't think clearly as the agony consumed him and he passed out.


	3. Chapter 3

"Shit, Berit!" Khalad exclaimed, looking down at his friend.

He was lying awkwardly on the ground, face pale and breathing rapid. His left arm and leg were at odd angles and Khalad feared he was looking at serious injury if Berit had used the spell he thought he had.

"Come on, wake up." He said kneeling down beside him. "You stupid idiot."

"What... what did he do?" Talen's voice was trembling obviously shocked at the sudden change in their fortune.

"I think that was a movement spell. The thing is it can cause serious injury if you try to move something too heavy, and I think we were about four times as heavy as anything he should be moving." He wished he had more time to reassure his youngest brother, but Berit needed his attention right now.

"I would really like you awake and talking" he said, putting a hand to Berit's neck to check his pulse. "I need to know what you've done to yourself." He didn't know if it was his words or his touch, but he saw Berit's eyes flutter slightly, and he let out a low whine. Feeling reassured at the strong heartbeat he could feel he continued to coax Berit to consciousness until his eyes fully opened, though it cut at his heart to see the pain they revealed.

"Now don't try to move, just give a nod or shake of your head. Was that a movement spell?" Nod. "Way off the chart of what you are meant to be doing?" Nod. "I'm going to guess where it hurts. Wrist?" Nod. "Shoulder?" Nod. "Back?" Shake. "Then ermmm... ribs?" Nod. "Hip?" Nod. "Knee?" Nod. "Ankle?" Shake. "Anywhere else?" A pause. Shake. He could see the tears leaking down Berit's face when was not surprising considering the injuries he'd just identified. "Are you an absolute fool for trying something so monumentally stupid?"

There was no nod or shake this time, as Berit spoke – slowly and carefuly. "We haven't been carried off the side of a mountain in a flash flood so it wasn't that stupid."

"We'll see about that. Talen do we have any of that wine left? Good give it here." As Talen handed over the remains of their afternoons drinking he reached into the pouch that he always carried at his belt. It carried a range of herbs for just such emergencies.

"Now this is really meant to be boiled, so it's going to taste horrible but it's going to help. A little at least." He said, as the two helped Berit lift his head just enough to drink. Even that caused him to grunt in pain. The mix was bitter and made Berit cough as he forced it down. That obviously aggravated his ribs as afterwards he lay gasping and shaking.

Khalad leant back, considering the options. They couldn't stay here, Berit needed some serious medical attention. They couldn't get the horses up here due to the rocky terrain so they would have to carry Berit down. One of them could ride back to the chapterhouse for help – having more hands would make the journey more comfortable but somehow the afternoon had got away from them and it wasn't going to be long before it got dark. That would make it dangerous for any journeys up or down the mountain, but neither could Berit stay up here injured and soaked as he was. If either he or Talen had been further along in their training then they could have used magic to call for aid, or even cast something to help their brother-in-arms. But they didn't have the knowledge to do that and there was no way that Berit would be able to handle the intricate movements right now. So it seemed the worst option was the only option.

"We're going to have to carry you down Berit. I'm sorry but this is going to be hell. We can make a sling for your arm but... " apart from the herbs he had just drunk there was nothing else they could do to make him more comfortable.

Berit winced, surely at the thought of the journey to come, and said "My shoulder, knee and hip are just dislocated I think. Ha! Three joints 'just' dislocated! But if you can get those back in I think it might be easier." His voice was strained but Khalad was very relieved that he was with it enough to talk, indicating that no serious damage had been to that stubborn head of his.

Khalad studied the knight – if he was right then it was better to get the joints back in their sockets soon as possible, and might reduce the pain he was experiencing a bit. He felt the joints carefully to make sure though: if he tried to relocate a joint that was in fact broken he could end up crippling him. He was as gentle as possible, but even so Berit was biting his lip and whimpering at his touch.

"You certain? This is going to be unpleasant."

"Get on with it. It's already unpleasant and I'm starting to get cold." Berit was indeed shivering his tone much sharper than usual, but that was understandable in the circumstances.

Khalad moved swiftly, trying to gently position Berit's limbs ready to be reset, but even that small movement produced groans. He instructed Talen where to hold his friend down as he was sure to need to. He was proud of his little brother. Despite his obvious worry and shock he was doing what he was told quickly and calmly which was the help he Khalad needed right now.

First the shoulder.

"Ok, deep breath on the count of three. One, Two..." At two and a quarter Khalad pulled, twisted and pushed, and he felt the shoulder joint slide back into it's socket. Berit was yelling, cursing Khalad as Talen struggled to keep him mostly flat.

"You bastard. You utter, utter bastard."

"I believe you're referring to my brother there, and that's not very polite."

"I hate you."

"I know. Get your breath back and we'll move on." Khalad watched as Berit tried to calm his breathing but he knew it was going to be difficult. Relocating three joints on the side of a wind and rainswept mountain with no significant pain relief was pushing the limits of endurance.

When enough time had passed Khalad moved on to his knee. This time there were no words when Khalad put it back, just a long loud yell that told of pain beyond agony. He preferred it when Berit had been swearing at and insulting him as this level of pain could be dangerous.

Once again he gave Berit a few moments to recover, before moving to his hip. By this point Berit's face was deathly pale, he was sweating and trembling, eyes screwed shut. Khalad hesitated.

"Do it" came the gruff instruction from the knight. "I'll order you if I have to. I want off this mountain."

Khalad gave a nod to Talen to be ready and pushed the bone back in place. Berit gave only a small cry this time, as he passed out from the pain before the movement was complete.


	4. Chapter 4

The first sensation that Berit was aware of was wet. He was lying in the wet. And he was cold. It was funny that only then did he realise he was in pain. Well not really funny when he came to think of it. Far from funny in fact. There was absolutely nothing funny about the fierce hot ache from his shoulder, hip and knee, or the stabbing pain that was coming from his wrist and chest. He also felt the echo of the spell fizzing within him, causing nausea to rise and giving him a headache. He took a deep breath and instantly regretted it as his broken ribs protested and forced from him a moan.

"Easy now, everything's back in the right place. You look like shit though." Khalad's voice. His face swum into focus as Berit opened his eyes. "Do you think you can sit up."

"With a little help." He said, hoping that he wasn't lying. He knew that getting joints point back in their sockets hurt, but had hadn't realised that it would hurt quite that much. If he had, he probably wouldn't have suggested it. He thought that he hurt before, but that was nothing compared to those last few moments of consciousness. He tried not to think about it. Unfortunately he couldn't stop thinking about how he felt right now, because that was awful.

It was his ribs that hurt the most. They varied from sharp and stabbing to dull and aching but he thought he broken at least ten of them. It's strange how you didn't notice how much your ribs _moved_ all the time until they were broken. He could feel them, in and out and up and down, and he was sure some of that movement was not meant to be. His left arm and leg were going to be next to useless and as for his wrist... a worry for another day.

Very carefully Khalad and Talen helped him to sit up. Though he tried to stop them hisses of pain still escaped his lips and the effort made his head reel. With careful positioning they managed to get him to standing, but to do so he had to be fully supported by Khalad. They had managed to put his arm in a sling so there wasn't too much weight on his shoulder, his wrist so swollen that it his shirt cuff had to be cut open. He couldn't put any weight on his left leg at all: he had tried but almost blacked out again.

"I don't think... I don't think I can do this." He gasped, trying to stay in the waking world.

"Sure you can. You've faced down a raging Elder God. Walking down a mountain is a piece of cake next to that." Berit appreciated the confidence that Talen had in him, and he didn't want to disappoint his young friend, but this really wasn't the same at all. Though it seemed he still had his mind and memories. _Look for the positives_ he told himself.

"We'll manage this together" said Khalad, looking to his brother "Take his other side, mind the ribs. That's it. Ready? Let's go."

Talen had positioned himself on Berit's injured side. Although Khalad was taking his weight on his uninjured side, he still needed that support to prevent him from collapsing completely. They moved slowly, more slowly than Berit could have imagined that it was possible to move. The others tested out the ground before they took a step to make sure it was stable – a fall now could push one of Berit's broken ribs into his lung and that would make a bad situation even worse. He hopped and shuffled with his friends either side, but time soon began to lose meaning for him it seemed there had never been anything before this painful journey.

There were several times that Berit had begged to stop for a rest and relief from the pain. If it had been just Talen maybe he would have got his way but Khalad was implacable and wouldn't consider it. Perhaps he knew that once they stopped it would be near impossible to get Berit standing again. Breathing was difficult due to the band of fire around his chest. Each step sent shockwaves into his abused joints causing them to pulse. He was able to just about fight back nausea but could do nothing to hold back the tears or even summon the energy to open his eyes. He trusted to the others to move them all safely. His world shrunk down to careful movements, the low communication of the two brothers and the all-consuming pain.

They continued their slow limping trek until they finally arrived at the rocky outcrop where they had left their horses and at last Berit was able to sink down onto the ground.


	5. Chapter 5

Khalad guessed it had only been a mile that they had had to travel, but it had never taken him longer. Looking down at where Berit was slumped on the ground – shuddering and gasping, hunched around his broken ribs, arm in a sling, he suddenly wasn't sure that he had done the right thing. Berit's muttered pleading for the pain to go away had stopped a while back, and it was only the fact that we still upright assured him that he was in fact conscious. Maybe they shouldn't have moved him, maybe this was killing him.

"He can do this" Talen whispered. "He's tougher than he lets on to himself. If we can bear to see him like this, he can bear to do it." How did Talen know he was having a crisis of confidence right now? The blind faith in both his friend and his brother were obvious to see. Despite the fact they hadn't grown up together Talen had slipped perfectly into his place in the family and had apparently come to know his brothers inside and out.

"We've got him this far, what next? We're losing light" He said, a bit louder this time so that Berit might hear.

"We are. First we need to try and keep him warm – grab the spare cloak from my pack would you." Between the rain and the shock hypothermia may be a real danger, despite the days earlier heat.

While Talen was draping the extra layer around their trembling friend Khalad went through his other saddle bag, for the spare herbs he kept there. He took a swig from his canteen of water, gestured Talen to do the same, before swilling the herbs into what was left.

"Drink this, it will help." He held the flask out. When Berit made no moved to take it he put it to his lips and practically poured it down his throat. Unfortunately it didn't have time to take effect as Berit gaged and then threw up. His heaving was unexpected and Khalad's concern spiked as he considered the likelyhood of internal injuries. When he had finished Berit leant his head on Khalad's chest, exhausted and pale.

"Sorry." The young man muttered. "Just a side effect of the spell. It always makes you feel sick."

Berit needed some proper pain relief and some warmth and he needed it soon. Although otherwise fit and healthy, young and strong there was still only so much a body could take. His heart beat felt fine so a heart attack seemed unlikely, but you never knew with how this day had gone.

"Let's get you home."

Berit forced his eyes open and Khalad felt a pit of guilt open up within him at the thought of putting his friend through anything more. But Talen was right, it seemed, Berit was a force to be reckoned with and he wasn't going to give in. Despite what he must be feeling right now he tightened his jaw and braced himself, holding out his good hand. "Help me up then." He asked.

It was difficult and very painful, but they managed to get Berit on a horse in front of Khalad, who held him close with one arm to share body heat. Talen walked in front choosing the best and smoothest path, while the other horses were hitched behind. The light was failing and the risk of a horse breaking a leg in the stretching shadows increased, but they couldn't stop. Normally none of the three would risk injury to their mounts but it was a different risk they were taking today. The sun had set by the time the terrain improved – rocky outcrops making way for gentle grassland and a dirt-packed road.

Khalad nodded at Talen, who took the signal to unhitch a horse and mount.

"Please. Please Khalad I need to stop. Every step is like a red hot poker across my ribs. Please." Berit was begging his voice hoarse. Talen paused in mounting and Khalad wasn't sure what was best to do. Berit's face was pale, forehead creased and teeth gritted against the pain. He couldn't put him through any more.

"Talen help me get him down."

With gentle hands they moved their brother-in-arms to the ground: being as careful as they could he still flitted in and out of consciousness. Once down Khalad rested his head on a saddlebag, and lifted his shirt. He forced himself not to react the mess of purple bruising that he saw on his friends side as he didn't want to scare Talen. It obviously didn't work, looking at his frightened face. If the spell had acted as he had been told this was a result of the ribs cracking and not any internal bleeding, but it was still a nasty looking injury.

"Go" he said to Talen. "As fast as you can."

Without a backward glance his brother galloped off towards the chapterhouse. Talen would run his horse all the way if he had to and bring help back with him. Khalad snugged a cloak closer around his friend – there was nothing else to be done.

"I'm sorry my friend, just a little longer." He whispered, not sure if Berit could even hear him.

 _Hurry Talen_ he wished as his brother disappeared along the road.


	6. Chapter 6

He wasn't cold anymore. In fact he was rather warm, the air stuffy around him. The blankets were heavy on top of him and he wished he had the strength to move them. There was something odd about being warm and under blankets but he couldn't quite place what was wrong. He decided not to worry about it.

He floated in a calm stream, distance sounds streaming past him. There were voices discussing... something. They sounded concerned but it probably wasn't important. He heard the sound of horses in the stable and rain on the window. Rain. That sparked a memory. Soaked to the skin in a sudden storm. And a flash flood heading right at them.

He jerked awake at the return of the memory and sat up suddenly. That turned out to be a mistake as pain assailed him. He lay back with a groan as lights flashed in front of his vision and his body protested. When they cleared he could see that he was in his room in the chapterhouse, propped up on some pillows. The fire was roaring and the lights were low.

"Hey know none of that. We didn't go to all that effort just to see you undo it." Said a familiar voice: Khalad.

Berit tried to take shallow breath, but which each movement of his chest his ribs screamed at him anyway. _Maybe it would be better if I just gave up on this breathing thing_ he thought. He found a gentle hand trying to ease him up and a cup was held out in front of him, but he hesitated to take it.

"Don't worry" Khalad gave a low chuckle, the face that Berit realised was attached to those hands. "This will taste better than the last stuff I gave you."

Berit took the cup and downed it in one anyway, just in case.

"Good. Now your knee, hip and shoulder are bandaged and splinted to stop them moving. There's nothing really I can do for your ribs except to tell you to stay still. The less you move over the next couple of weeks the better. Your wrist was a clean break thankfully so you should get full movement back, though that's going to take time."

Berit gave a yawn as he processed that information – broken bones were by far the most common injury that the church knights suffered, and Berit thought himself lucky that he had escaped one so far. He had seemed to make up for that lack now though. The journey down the mountain was a blur of pain and darkness – he vaguely remembered being on a horse, and Khalad talking to him. Then there were other people as well and he remembered once waking up on a litter. Khalad continued talking.

"You're the talk of the order you know – the first knight to successfully move three times his own body weight." Khalad said leaning back, for all the world as though they were having a conversation in a tavern.

"They have an interesting definition of successful" Berit managed to gasp out. Whatever had been in that cup seemed to be working, as the fire in his left side was receding slightly.

"From what I understand trying what you did should have boiled your insides, so that fact that you're going to make a full recovery apart from a few aches in cold weather looks like a success to me." Khalad's tome was conversational, but there was an edge to it that Berit hadn't heard before.

"Maybe" he muttered. In truth he hadn't expected to survive but it had been the only way to get his friends out of danger. He yawned again.

"Now they're just trying to work out how to make sure the novices don't try to repeat it."

"Have them come and have a look at the consequences."

Khalad snorted at that. "I don't think putting them within reach of their hero would help any of you right now.' He paused, and when he continued was more serious. "Did you know? When you did it? What you were doing to yourself? Of course you did!" Khalad was now shouting: that edge had turned to anger. Khalad had never been angry at him before. "We had to have someone explain it to us – how lucky you were not to have died instantly, or to have disappeared in a puff of smoke, or to become a mindless lump! You knew all that already, smartass that you are and you went and did it anyway! What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that any of that was better than the three of us being drowned, or thrown off the mountain, or buried in the dirt or crushed under a boulder! I'm sorry that I didn't have time to come up with a less worrysome way of saving your life!" Berit didn't have the strength to shout back, so that all came out in a fierce hiss, low but clear. "I'll remember that for next time."

"There is not going to be a next time – I'm going to drum some sense into you before you are allowed to step out this building again." Was Khalad's retort.

"You don't get to make those sort of decisions Khalad, and to be clear I would make the same choice again. Putting the life of your brothers is part of the bedrock of being a Church Knight. You two may not be knighted yet but you are still my brothers and I'll be damned if there's anything you can do to let me stand and watch you die." Berit's outburst had caused his breathing to speed up, and now he had to stop in order to prevent the pain overwhelming him.

"I thought it was going to be worse. I was very surprised that it didn't kill me instantly." He admitted. That moment of decision – to know the spell would kill him and do it anyway – was going to haunt him for a while. "I didn't get a chance to ask, are you too ok? I didn't hurt you did I?" He was suddenly concerned, despite the fact they seemed to be in the middle of an argument.

"You're an idiot!" But Khalad's tone did not match his words. Instead of anger his face showed his understanding. "Idiot for worrying about us while you were doing something so dangerous and idiot for doing It in the first place. We're fine, but maybe this will have knocked some sense into that noble head of yours." Khalad was always insulting the nobility, but he didn't sound like he meant it this time.

Berit gave a snort of amusement at that, his eyes drifting closed. "What did you put in that drink?" He murmured, realising that he was unnaturally tired.

"Just something to help you rest, take this opportunity while you can."

"Sneaky bastard" Berit managed to get out as sleep started to creep over him. Before he drifted off the door opened and Talen slipped in carrying a tray.

"Khalad, eat this... " he started, before realising that Berit was awake. When he did his face broke out into a wide smile, and he hastily put the tray down.

"It's so good to see you awake Berit, how do you feel?" The young man asked.

"Like I've been put through the wringer to be honest." Berit replied.

"Ha! I bet! Don't worry we'll keep the others off you for a while yet, give you a chance at least."

"What do you mean?" Berit asked as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

Khalad shot a warning glance at Talen, but the younger man either didn't see it or chose to ignore it.

"Of course it's all round the order by now! Berit, who can Move three times his own bodyweight and survive. You know there's nothing a knight likes more than a good gossip and as soon as word got round about what you did – why they're lining up to come and see the man who did the impossible!"

"What? That's stupid. I got lucky, that's all."

"We know you got lucky Berit" Khalad said, "But surely you know that nobles _are_ in fact stupid?" He raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Netherless, you have gained some notoriety around here."

Berit gave a groan that had nothing to do with injuries. "Sparhawk is going to kill me if anyone else gets any bright ideas because of this." He managed to mutter, voice thick and slurring as he started to succumb to Khalad's concoction.

"Don't worry we'll stand guard." Cool and calm Khalad was back, obviously his earlier yelling had helped get whatever it was out of his system.

"T'anks"

"No, thank you my friend."

And Berit drifted into a restful sleep.


End file.
